Two Wheels Better For One Way Streets

Dean Nicholas
By Dean Nicholas Last edited 189 months ago
Two Wheels Better For One Way Streets
Bicycle motif

A sign of this country's creeping Torification, with Britain's top two Blues boasting their two-wheels-better philosophy at any opportunity (never mind the traffic signals)? Or merely a sensible policy that could help get more people on their bikes?

Kensington and Chelsea are to trial a scheme by which cyclists will be allowed to go the 'wrong way' down one-way streets. Natty new signs are to be introduced on six streets in the borough, advising pedal pushers that they can cut through against the flow of traffic. Mind, they'll be entirely responsible for avoiding oncoming traffic - no separate path will be provided.

Drivers of said oncoming traffic aren't too impressed. Bob Oddy, of the London Taxi Drivers Association, thundered that "convenience shouldn't come before safety". And he's not without a point: in March TfL launched a safety campaign reminding motorists to look out for cyclists. They even came up with a clever test proving how easy it is to miss things if you're not concentrating.

Yet Tony Bogdanowicz, of the London Cycling Campaign, is having none of it. The project will "reduce danger to the cyclists who are currently being forced to use major roads", he claimed.

The trial begins in the autumn and will initially take place on Holland Street, Old Court Place and Thackeray Street, with more to follow once contra-flow realignment work is complete. So if you fancy hoving your BMX into the firing line of a Land Rover (weapon of choice in K&C, dontcha know?), then you know where to go. Or you could just carry on ignoring the signals and one-way systems and do as you please. Our future PM certainly seems happy to do so.

Image courtesy of jordi.martorell under the Creative Commons Attribution license

Last Updated 05 June 2008